हेरा पंचमी | Hera Panchami | Manisha Jakhmola

Hera Panchami is a unique ritual held during the Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra. It is observed at the Gundicha Temple. Hera or Hora means to ‘see or look at or behold’ and Panchami means the ‘fifth day’ – on Hera Panchami day Goddess Lakshmi travels to the Gundicha Temple to see Lord Jagannath. The visit of Goddess Lakshmi takes place five days after the Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra. Hera Panchami is a domestic affair of the divine couple - Vishnu and Lakshmi. During the Puri Rath Yatra, the chariots (Ratha) carrying Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are pulled from the Puri Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple, here the deities visit their aunt. The popular belief is that Lord Jagannath had promised his wife Goddess Lakshmi that He will return the next day. But Lord Jagannath does not return the next day. Goddess Lakshmi waits and waits and finally on the fifth day she goes to Gundicha Temple on a palanquin and sees the Ratha of Lord Jagannath outside Gundicha Temple. The murti used for the ritual is the representative image of Mahalakshmi. It is ceremonially decorated in the majana ritual inside Srimandira. Hera Panchami at Jagannath Temple Puri She is then carried on the bimana (palanquin) kept near the banyan tree to the southeast of the sanctum. She is carried by Bimanabadu Sevakas on their shoulders in procession. The processions includes colourful umbrellas, fans, fly whisks and other routine items found in temple processions in the region. The music for the occasion is provided by traditional drums and gongs. The people who follow the palanquin of Goddess Lakshmi sing the Hera Panchami song. The Hera Panchami song expresses Goddess Lakshmi's anger. At the Gundicha Temple, the palanquin stops near the chariot of Jagannath. A main priest offers aarti to Jagannatha and other deities on behalf of Goddess Lakshmi. Goddess Lakshmi enters the Gundicha temple after Sandha Dhoopa and reaches the door near Jagannath in Gundicha Temple. A priest then takes a garland from Jagannath murti and places it on the murti of Mahalakshmi. Goddess Lakshmi then comes out of the temple through the Naka Chana Dwara and here she is worshipped by offering curd by an important administrator of Srimandira. She then once again comes in front of the chariot of Jagannath. At the end of the ritual a small piece of Lord Jagannath’s chariot is broken and Goddess Lakshmi returns in anger through Hera Gohiri Sahi to Srimandira. For more videos of Manisha Jakhmola click here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhtmKWc6vRTBeE79-FsLgcaySx8znox5C